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2006 w/s biz

this is one of my worst year in w/s biz.
this summer have been very slow lately.
am i the only one. loc/sacto,ca.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

One of many.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

i was talking to a competitor last night, he needed to borrow something, but i didn't have it.

anyway we started about the same time on our own in 1992, he pointed out that the whole thought process that we learned with doesn't apply any more. He said we can't even think in the same terms we used to think in even three years ago.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

I began as Office Manager/Customer Service Rep/Inside Sales/Parts Manager-Ordering...hell I do it all except install. Now we are a full service Glass Business, not just autoglass but the changes in AG and the $$$$ that was being made in 04 vs 06 is enough to make a business owner . Until 10/05 we had one major insurance client that did not use a TPA and we got all of their business, then they signed up with %@$, now we get maybe 1/4 of their replacements, the rest are steered & confused. Were it not for the flat glass, shower enclosures, storefronts, etc..........we'd have folded already.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

I hate to be a downer but our sales are way, way, way up, by dollars....profit...and increase in sales percentage. (Of course, overhead has followed suit). I know it can and perhaps will change any year. It's hard work , but can be accomplished. Sometimes, even fun.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

Glassgod - Ditto on that great year!! My friends who own alot of shop say same things #'s up and sales up.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

bachman and glassgod,

i know you both live in heavily populated areas, so i would assume our markets are substantially different. Here in a town of 20,000 with five in town glass shops and 2 big guys doing mobile here, it doesn't allow for volume to make up the difference.

I think that the new generation of shop owners seem to be happy with the slim margins we are making now, and i guess when compared to working for somebody, they may be making more than they were as employees.

i would guess some of this is based on a guys perspective as well. i had a guy from the restraunt business working for me, he thought a 20 percent markup was as high as the sky. i've also had a banker show me how they made over a million dollars one year, in the banking industry with a margin of 1 1/2 to 2 percent, he told me that was killer numbers for a bank. I guess it is all based on volume and the walmart mentality, i personally don't like the insurance companies cookie cutter approach and i am not fond of their pricing.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

Joe,
20,000 with five shops serving? What kind of surrounding populations area do you have? I have been in several markets. The smallest was about 45,000 people and I thought 3 shops was one more than needed. In a 120,000 we don't even see 5 shops. Those numbes just really suprised me.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

??? that is correct, that is correct, small population, with more glass shops than you can shake a stick at.

there were only two shops in town until about 1990, and then things changed. i am assuming sooner or later the herd will get thinned, i am just hoping that i am not one of the thinned. ha ha.

staying positive is probably the hardest thing, but i really try to work on that.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

So far so good on our end.

Re: 2006 w/s biz

joe,

if you would like contact me via email, are you willing to travel outside your 20,000 pop? i know some angles that can help you, one is if your on lynx properly profiling your shops to show your actuall vehicles etc.. i know 1 tech = a hell of alot more than 20,000 pop .. click the zips your willing to travel to , etc... but you might take yourself from D maket to A if u do that... what "letter" market are you in?

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